In recent years, a copying machine having a developing paper photograph mode as one of script modes makes up the majority of a full color copying machine. Upon copying a developing paper photograph such as a snapshot or the like by such a full color copying machine, the photographs are simply laid out on a script table to be copied, or if the photograph is a standard size, it is enlarged to a size of an output paper by a standard variable power to be copied.
However, even if a user intends to copy a snapshot and a photograph in an infinite form in this developing paper photograph mode, the photographs are simply laid out on a script table, so that the layout becomes monotonous or unnatural spaces are produced. As a result, the copied photographs often look sluggish.
Alternatively, in the case of producing a simple photo album, this involves a problem such that complicated work is needed such that the outputted copy samples are cut by hand to be relocated and an illustration and an ornament are added in order to make a fine show of the photographs. Further, this involves a problem such that an image quality is deteriorated due to generation copy since the photographs should be copied time and again.
In this point, for example, Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. 9-200496 discloses a technical art such that a well balanced and artistic layout is capable of being printed without troubling an operator even when image data having different aspect ratio is allocated to a frame having a predetermined aspect ratio.
However, even this technical art involves a problem such that the user must set many functions and it is not possible to automatically and easily provide an optimum layout of a plurality of photographic images.